New EC strategy against growing threat of vegetation fires

With vegetation fires becoming more frequent, covering larger areas and having an extremely devastating impact, the European Commission has unveiled a new, integrated approach to vegetation fire risk management. The strategy encompasses prevention, response preparedness and restoration, and is expected to increase Europe’s resilience to the growing threat of vegetation fires and provide better protection for Europeans and the environment, as well as infrastructure and cultural heritage.

Increasing threat of fires in the EU

According to information from the Copernicus European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), since records began to be kept 2025. forest fires have ravaged more than one million hectares in the European Union. The area of burned land recorded in four of the last five years has been above average, and the size and intensity of the fires continue to increase. The frequency of large-scale fires is also increasing, posing a major challenge to hazard management efforts.

Concerns stemming from the growing threat of vegetation fires are also being expressed by European residents. According to the findings of a recent survey conducted by the European Environment Agency, as many as half of those surveyed are concerned about the phenomenon. The European Commission wants Europeans to be more aware of the threat of fires and, in line with the EU strategy, to prepare for vegetation fires. The European Commission said it will continue to work on including preparedness in the training of education personnel, promoting it in EU youth programs and increasing volunteer opportunities for vegetation fire preparedness.

What measures against the growing threat does the EC propose?

In its new integrated approach, the European Commission is placing great emphasis on fire prevention measures. One of these is greater support for ecosystem-based measures to prevent vegetation fires. The aim of this measure is to build fire-resistant landscapes and mitigate the risks and impacts of vegetation fires by protecting nature and restoring natural resources.

With a view to implementing this action, the European Commission has adopted guidelines that provide advice on a structured approach to climate change adaptation in Natura 2000 areas. The guidelines also indicate how to promote planning for resilient landscapes and measures to reduce the risk of vegetation fires in line with conservation objectives. In addition, the guidelines describe flexible solutions for use in managing Natura 2000 sites in emergency situations, such as vegetation fires, when rapid response is essential to save people and protect biodiversity.

It is also worth mentioning that forest fires can drastically deteriorate air quality, as well as water quality, as we wrote about in a previous article: Forest fires and water quality – a regional problem.

Preventive measures in areas particularly at risk from fires

As part of enhancing preparedness to deal with fires, the European Commission will continue to delegate firefighters to areas at risk and promote knowledge sharing, including with firefighting experts. The exchange of experience and further cooperation with regions prone to vegetation fires around the world will also be promoted. Additional funding opportunities will be communicated to member states and stakeholders, as announced.

The European Commission continues to work on a European forest fire information system, supported by satellites under the Copernicus program, to improve early warning and fire monitoring methods. New capabilities for standardized risk modeling on a pan-European scale will be developed to help identify best practices for reducing wildfire risk and increasing landscape resilience. To support decision-making, the European Commission is also continuing to develop vegetation fire modeling tools supported by artificial intelligence.

In addition to the above-mentioned activities, the rescEU’s firefighting fleet will also increase – 12 firefighting aircraft and 5 helicopters will be ordered. The aircraft will be operated by rescuers from 6 EU countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece. The five helicopters will take off from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. The first of these, delivered to Romania in January 2026, will be ready for operation as early as this year’s fire season.

As part of its ongoing efforts to counter the growing fire threat, the European Commission is working to establish a European firefighting center in Cyprus. It will serve as a regional center for training, exercises and seasonal preparedness. It will serve a dual function: on the one hand, operational response to vegetation fires, and on the other, prevention and training.